Parrot Anafi Drone Review 2019 – is the Parrot Anafi quadcopter worth the money? Review of features, pricing, flight duration, battery, camera and more.
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To compete favorably on the market, Parrot released a quality product in the form of Anafi. The unit is a folding drone sporting a 4K HDR camera, hybrid stabilization, a USB rechargeable battery and a variety of fun functions.
Parrot goes much further than DJI with an impressive ultra-light design that allows you to take this drone almost anywhere. The product is an excellent choice for filmmakers, hikers or outdoor enthusiasts. Equipped with a camera that boasts a vertical angle of 180 degrees, it can capture 4K HDR videos and 21MP photos.
Performance
Armed with its four brushless motors, the Anafi can reach speeds of up to 34 miles per hour and face winds up to 31 mph. To take to the sky, you must first turn on the remote control (by unfolding the Wi-Fi antenna that also serves as a base for the smartphone). Proceed to turn on the drone, fix the smartphone on the radio control and connect it to the latter via a USB cable.
The connection allows you to launch the application and enter the flight parameters. The application has an interesting interface with telemetry display on the upper part of the screen and the camera functions are displayed on the bottom of the interface. A radar positioned at the bottom right makes it possible to locate the drone and to see where it is in relation to its point of origin.
In addition to conventional video capture modes, Freelight 6 allows subject tracking. Automatic flight plans allow you to perform sequences. In a recent update of the application, the manufacturer introduced new bracketing functions and a customizable RTH mode.
The same applies to a camera burst that goes to 10 frames per second, better control of exposure and a video mode capable of 2.7K in 30 frames per second. Alert messages are also improved. However, the Anafi is not equipped with obstacle detection.
After selecting the correct flight mode, you can take off by pressing the take-off key. The Anafi launches its propellers silently and takes off before stabilizing a few inches above the ground. The flight experience is intuitive. By disengaging the speed, the Anafi becomes more agile, fast and offers a pleasant piloting experience. The video feedback is impressive.
However, the quality of the video feedback suffers as the drone flies further away until the image freezes. By bringing the drone closer, you recover the signal. The Anafi’s camera is a 4K HDR that can be rotated 180 degrees vertically with a 2.8X lossless zoom. On the other hand, there is a hybrid image stabilization allowing users to capture stable, quality videos.
The small size of the drone does not impact on overall performance, you will still have a flight autonomy of 25 minutes.
Parrot Anafi Drone Features
– 2700 mAh and 7.6 volt Lipo battery
– GeoBarrier
– Find My Drone
– Return to Home
– 25 minutes of flight
– Glonass positioning system
– Rechargeable USB-C battery
Pros and cons
Pros
– Lightweight and foldable design
– Excellent camera with HDR
– Easy to fly
– Lossless zoom
– Simple and fast mobile application
Cons
– The lossless zoom is not lossless
– No obstacle detection system
Drone comparisons
Unlike the Parrot Bebop 2, Anafi’s camera surprisingly delivers better image quality. Its camera includes a Sony sensor capable of recording videos with a resolution of up to 4096 × 2180 with HDR and photos up to 21 megapixels, and a f/2.4 lens.
Also, its digital zoom without loss of quality catches the attention of most users. You can zoom in up to 2.8x for 4K video and up to 3x for HD video. Even if it is a digital zoom, not a physical zoom lens, the quality is still impressive. The video quality is crisp and vibrant. The 3-axis hybrid gimbal keeps the camera stable and there are no problems with the frame rate even when the drone is moving at high speed.
Meanwhile, Yuneec’s Mantis Q comes with a 4K camera equipped with visual tracking and facial detection. This drone remains a good compromise thanks to a reasonable price. Moreover, this drone has a sports flight mode to fly up to 44 mph and it is a muscular drone that remains extremely compact given its small size. The Mantis Q is arguably the folding drone of choice for aerial films on the move and on a tight budget but the Parrot Anafi competes favorably.
The Parrot Anafi can fit in a small bag (about the size of a bottle of water). It should be noted that the controller does not fit in this case but it is also small. You will need to find a little more space for the controller. The drone weighs one kilogram or less, which makes it significantly smaller and lighter than its competitor Mavic Air. This is an awesome product for traveling. You will be surprised by its shape when you are ready to fly. Its arms spread out from a hinge making it look like an insect.
Anafi boasts a different design than other drones of the same brand and many users are impressed by its foldable sleeves. If you do not impress your friends with the drone itself, you are sure to impress them with the high-quality photos.
Autonomy
In terms of autonomy, this excellent drone behaves admirably well when it comes to its ability to fly freely. Its automated flight modes all work exactly as advertised. Automated shooting modes produce consistent and reliable results. It is worth noting that Parrot’s autopilot technology is not as robust as that found on a DJI drone.
During the presentation of this model, Parrot stated that the unit could manage up to 25 minutes of flight. Tests showed that the Parrot Anafi drone can last 23 minutes and a few seconds. When testing all its features, this drone managed to reach 22 minutes and 40 seconds of flight. A pretty good figure.
Admittedly, the controller is compact but looks somewhat incongruous next to the drone. It is well designed and offers many controls, including both standard joysticks, shoulder knobs and levers to control video, gimbal and digital zoom functions.
Controls
To control your Parrot Anafi, you must use Skycontroller 3, which controls the drone and camera. To access the majority of Anafi’s functions and view the images you are capturing, you will need to insert your iOS or Android smartphone into the controller and use the Freeflight 6 app.
Once your Parrot Anafi is in flight, you have access to a wide range of options. You can quickly move from one photo or video to another, choose your image quality and any AI motion model in seconds.
Why buy the Parrot Anafi?
While the Parrot Anafi drone has clearly made great progress compared to Bebop 2, it remains an excellent investment for those whose budget does not quite extend to the Mavic Air. However, there are some small flaws. An important but missing point on this drone is the obstacle detection system, which is now standard on many drones in the unit’s price range.
When it comes to environmental detection, the Anafi is only equipped with a soil sensor. This means it cannot detect and avoid obstructions, such as tree branches or power lines. The Parrot Anafi drone is worth buying if you are looking for a lightweight drone that offers excellent video quality. However, the Mavic Air is more wind stable and has an obstacle avoidance technique.
The 21-megapixel 1/2.4-inch CMOS sensor delivers high-acuity images, especially in the center and delivers natural color rendering without excessive flattery, unlike Mavic Air and the Spark.
Customer reviews
Many customers highlight the fact that this device is easy to carry thanks to its weight. It can be carried effortlessly in a backpack. In addition, the product comes with a case that makes it even easier to carry. The latter weighs about 192 grams.
The Parrot Anafi drone is delivered for purchase with a USB-C cable that allows charging on a USB sector. This device can be taken everywhere and even during a road trip, which is a key factor for many customers.
Battery charging takes between one and two hours. If you use a fast and powerful charger, it can take less time.
Final thoughts
When you want to buy a drone, it is important to know all the information about it. You should consider its technical characteristics, features, strengths and weaknesses compared to other drones on the market. You can find different types of drones on the market. The French brand, Parrot offers you its high-end drone model, the Anafi. It is an innovative product that allows you to capture photos and videos at exceptional angles.
The drone has the SmartDronies feature that allows its users to have direct access to Dolly Zoom, Boomerang, Tornado, Orbit and Parabola modes. These allow you to take selfies. Cine Shots technology is also present on this device. It allows you to capture cinematic images that are usable with new options like Reveal, Rise 360° or Epic.
The Cameraman, Follow Me, Slow-Motion and Hyperlapse operating modes are also available. The Parrot Anafi drone also has features like Smart RTH or Find My Drone, which is handy for securing your equipment.
- Product
- Parrot Anafi Drone
- Type
- Quadcopter Drone
- Product Author
- Reviewed by
- dronesforsalereview
on October 31, 2018 - Rating
- Price
- 699
